*ko-, *hi-,

This root was essentially a pointer to a presence that was not yourself.

this, that here

It could be a person or thing, but also a place or a time.
Here’s an overview over the relatives

• he, him, his
• her
• it (used to be “hit”)
• here
• hither
• cis-
• et cetera

German and English sources “spell” the root very differently, but I think they’re talking about the same thing.